Home > ABC Preemptively Hits GOP for 'Steep Price' of Budget Cuts to Avoid a Government Shutdown

ABC Preemptively Hits GOP for 'Steep Price' of Budget Cuts to Avoid a Government Shutdown

By

Scott Whitlock

April 5, 2011 - 12:51pm

Although a government shutdown hasn't occurred yet, ABC's Good Morning
America has already begun showcasing the possible dire impacts of such a
budget impasse. Reporter Jake Tapper highlighted White House worries
about "figuring out what this will mean in terms of parks that
are closed, museums that are closed, veterans that are not able to get
assistance for their benefits..."

Correspondent Jon Karl, in the same segment, warned that although a
possible deal could fund the government for another week, "...It would
also come at a steep price. Republicans are demanding $12 billion in
spending cuts just for that one week of funding."

Karl, Tapper and co-anchor George Stephanopoulos repeatedly put the
emphasis on the GOP's responsibility for a shutdown, not on Barack Obama
to find more cuts to make. Stephanopoulos, a former Democratic
operative, responded to Karl's remark on the $12 billion by declaring
"that's not going to fly with the White House."

Tapper
highlighted liberal finger pointing on a potential shutdown: "Well,
from the perspective of Democrats close to the process, I can say that
there is a concern that House Speaker John Boehner just simply does not
control the Republicans in his caucus."

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: The chance of a government shutdown this weekend
appeared to go up pretty dramatically. So, I want to bring in our
congressional correspondents Jake Tapper and Jon Karl with these latest
developments. And, Jake, let me begin with you. The White House had been
resisting any planning for a possible shutdown, but last night a
directive goes out to government agencies telling them to get ready.

JAKE TAPPER: That's exactly right. The Office of Management and Budget
set out a notice to agencies and department heads telling them to
prepare their senior managers for their contingency plans for a
government shutdown. The White House is still sussing out, figuring out
what this will mean in terms of parks that are closed, museums that are
closed, veterans that are not able to get assistance for their benefits,
but they are now preparing for this contingency, George.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: And, Jon, meanwhile, a late night meeting
yesterday in the House among House Republicans as well where they come
up with a new proposal to avert a shutdown, but also to begin preparing
their members for a shutdown.

JON KARL: Yeah. They're putting out guidance today to all congressional
offices saying that essential personal must stay home. And, George,
that's more than half the people that work here on Capitol Hill, the
visitor's center will close. This place will essentially grind to a
halt. This proposal they've put forth will try to prevent that would
fund the government for another week, also fund the Pentagon for the
rest of the year. But, George, it would also come at a steep price.
Republicans are demanding $12 billion in spending cuts just for that one
week of funding.

STEPHANOPOULOS: And, Jake, that's not going to fly with the White
House. Last week they had been making a lot of progress and then over
the weekend everything stalled. The President calling both sides to the
White House late this morning. From the White House perspective, what is
the big sticking point to a deal?

TAPPER: Well, from the perspective of Democrats close to the process, I
can say that there is a concern that House Speaker John Boehner just
simply does not control the Republicans in his caucus. So, the
negotiations that are going on right now, which are going on at the
staff level, you might remember in December, Vice President Biden
negotiated specifically with the Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell,
but these negations are going on at the staff level. Democrats say
Speaker Boehner doesn't want to even be seen as negotiating with the
White House. But, then there's the concern that what is negotiated
Speaker Boehner doesn't even know if his Republican caucus will sign off
on it until he meets with them. So, that's the big concern.

STEPHANOPOULOS: That he couldn't sell it. Right. And that's why, Jon,
yesterday you saw Speaker Boehner say the $33 billion target was not
good enough, that it was not something he had agreed to and it comes as
his leadership puts out a new long term budget that has massive savings,
close to six trillion dollars.

KARL: Yeah, George. So, we're squabbling right now over a few billion
dollars. Republicans want a little bit more than that. $33 billion for
the rest of the year. But this new budget released today by Paul Ryan,
the Republican budget chairman is $6.2 trillion in spending cuts over
the next year, next ten years. Far more than anything we're talking
about here.

- Scott Whitlock is the senior news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here[1] to follow him on Twitter.

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